Coming Home
by shopgirl152
Summary: On the way home from a solo gig, Phineas stops in at the Roadside Diner to visit Candace. But what starts off as a regular visit to see family becomes a sort of quest, as the red head sets off down the road with a trucker named Dipper, vowing to help the man reunite with his own sister. But what Phineas doesn't realize is the impact his actions will have on the two siblings. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N 1: **Inspired by Kenny Chesney's Freedom...and two other songs, which I will list when I get to the chapters that use them.  
**A/N 2: **So this story was sitting on an app on my phone for the longest time. I started off with a vague idea of what I wanted to do with it, but just couldn't get it there. One day I took a different approach and...bam, this was the result. I'm rather pleased with how it came out and I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

_People always tell me their life stories,  
__the love they lost, their taste of glory.  
__He sat next to me at the counter in the diner…_

"Sis? Sis, you in here?" Phineas walked into the Roadside Diner, marveling at how much his sister had done with the place. "Candace?" He took a quick glance around at the other patrons before setting his guitar on the floor and sitting on one of the stools at the counter. "Guess I'll just wait for her then."

"I know we need more butter Jeremy; just put it on the list." A woman in her mid thirties emerged from the back, mumbling to herself. "I ask him to do one simple thing and now-"

"Some things never change huh Sis?"

The woman's head snapped to attention and she looked up, a huge grin spreading across her face. "Oh my gosh! Phineas!" She ran out from the back, enveloping him in a hug. "Phineas, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be touring?"

"Well yeah." The red head returned her grin. "But I was passing through this way and had to come see my favorite sister."

She smirked. "I'm your only sister."

"So? I still had to come see you."

Candace stood back, looking her brother up and down. "Traded in your orange button up collared shirt for a plain white t-shirt I see."

"Yeah. It's a lot comfier than the shirt."

"Is that the real reason?"

"Not really. Isabella wanted me to leave it behind; she wants to sleep with it." He paused. "Actually, last I heard, I believe Abby was sleeping in it."

"Aww. How are they?"

"Good. I'm actually stopping by there for a few days. They don't know, so if you talk to Izzy, don't tell her."

"Mum's the word." Candace shook her head. "Phin, it is so great to see you. I-"

"Excuse me? Waitress? Can I get more coffee over here?" A patron waved a hand in the air.

The waitress groaned. "I'm sorry Phineas. Duty calls." She looked apologetically at him before reaching under the counter, emerging with a slice of pie on a plate. She slid it over to him, smiling. "Here. It's on the house. Don't leave without saying good-bye okay?"

He smiled. "Will do." Phineas watched his sister leave before plunging into the pie. "Ahh, chocolate pie. My favorite." He took a bite, his head jerking toward the sound of the bell on the door, watching as a man walked in. He appeared to be a few years younger than himself and was talking into a Bluetooth clipped to his ear.

"Mabel, pick up. Mabel, please pick up." The man sighed as he sat down next to Phineas. "Come on Sis; I know you're there. It's been three years. The least you could do is talk to me."

The red head took in the man's appearance: a few inches shorter than him, he was wearing a blue and white trucker's hat with a blue pine tree on the front. His face had a few days worth of stubble on it and there were bags under his eyes, giving the impression he hadn't slept in days. A reddish orange t-shirt with a navy blue vest completed the look, along with a pair of grey cargo pants, black boots and a black wristwatch.

He waited until the man was done on the phone before speaking. "Nice shirt. Red and orange have always been my favorite colors."

"Uhh..." the man looked down at his shirt. "Thanks. I've had it forever. It…sadly still fits."

"Least it fits well." No response. "So, having problems with your sister?" The man stared at him and Phineas realized his mistake immediately. "I wasn't eavesdropping; you just sat down next to me while you were talking. I-I couldn't help overhearing." He paused. "I didn't mean to be nosy."

The man sighed, laying his head on the counter. "No no. That's okay. I should've realized talking on a Bluetooth was a bad idea."

"Huh?"

"Nevermind."

The red head paused, trying to think of what to say next. "Want some pie? It's really good." He slid the plate over and before he could say another word, the man grabbed it, snatching a fork from a nearby container and practically gobbling the entire thing. "Wow. You're really hungry." He smiled. "My name's Phineas by the way."

The man looked at him through a mouthful of pie, hastily wiping his mouth on a shirtsleeve. "Dipper."

"Dipper? That's—oh." He paused as Dipper took off his hat, sweeping his hair to the side to reveal a little dipper birthmark on his forehead. "Wow. That's kind of cool."

"No, it's not." He sighed again, placing the hat back on.

Phineas crossed his arms, resting them on the bar as he tried to think of a way to move the conversation forward. "So. Your sister's name is Mabel huh?" A wordless nod. "How long have you two known each other?" Dipper raised a brow at him. "Oh. Siblings. Right. Sorry."

"You know, I don't get it. When Mabel and I were twelve, we were best friends." A faint smile appeared on the man's face. "Do you know we spent an entire summer in Oregon helping our Great Uncle run a souvenir store called The Mystery Shack?" He chuckled. "I mean, it was more of a scam than anything else; Grunkle Stan was great at that kind of thing. That was the best summer. Mabel and I were close then. We trusted each other. We helped each other. We had each other's backs. But now?" He sighed. "Now, she won't even talk to me."

"What happened?"

Dipper looked at him, resting his chin in a hand. "You know, I don't know. I think after awhile we just grew up and grew apart. I somehow became popular in high school and she started drifting, keeping to herself a lot. I mean, it got to the point where we would only say a few words to each other. When we graduated from high school, she hugged me and said good-bye. After that, she left. I don't know where she went or what she was doing; every so often, I would get a quick text or call from her but that was it." He sat up straight, turning around on the stool so he was facing the red head. "But now? Now she won't even talk to me. Every time I try to call her, I get her voicemail. I've left her a couple of messages, but…nothing. Before, it was just the quick text or a call; it wasn't much but at least we were still talking."

"Ouch. That's harsh." Phineas went to put a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder, only to refrain. "Did you ever talk to her and find out what went wrong?"

"What do you think I've been trying to do?! I call her everyday!" He slapped a hand over his mouth. "I-I'm sorry. It's just so frustrating!" Dipper slammed a hand on the bar, causing the now empty pie plate to jiggle. "I call her everyday and…nothing!"

"Okay, okay. Calm down." The red head put a hand on the man's shoulder. "We all make mistakes. And hey, every sibling goes through periods where they drift or they're not close. I went through that with my sister."

"You have a sister?"

"Yep!" He grinned. "A brother too, but Ferb's my step-sibling; Candace and I have known each other since birth." He paused. "Well, maybe not that long; we're five years apart, but you know, blood related and all that. Though I wouldn't trade Ferb as a brother for anything either." Phineas searched the crowd, smirking as a harried looking Candace made her way to the front. "Hey Sis. You got a minute?"

"Sorry Phineas; lunch rush!" She scurried past him, poking her head in the back. "Sweetie, a little help here?" A pause. "Jeremy?"

"Everything alright Candace?"

"I don't know where Jeremy went; he must have gone out to pick up a few things. We've been running low on supplies and—"

"Waitress, can I get the Eggs Southwest over here?" A customer yelled.

"Phineas, I know you're on tour and you're only stopping by for a minute before you head home, but—"

"Say no more." The red head grabbed his guitar, stashing it in the backroom before emerging wearing an apron. He tossed a spare one to Dipper. "Wanna help? Candace and I could use some reinforcements."

The faintest of a smile passed Dipper's face as he looked down at the apron before looking up at the red head. "Yeah, alright."

* * *

**A/N 3:** Phineas is 30 here and Dipper is 26. I had a bit of trouble visualizing Dipper as an adult, so my apologies if he doesn't sound older than he is in the show.  
**A/N 4:** In case you're wondering, the Roadside Diner is in fact the one that Phineas and Ferb created while on their road trip that one summer. The farmer and wife owned it for awhile before they sold it to Candace and Jeremy, who now run it.


	2. Chapter 2

_Two hours later…_

"Phew." Candace leaned against the wall, fanning herself. "Thank goodness that's over. Lunch rush never gets easier."

"Is it always like this?" Dipper asked.

"For the most part. About the same time everyday, we get a bunch of truckers coming in here…" she trailed off, realizing something. "I'm sorry. We haven't been introduced. I'm Candace, Phineas' sister."

"Dipper."

She smiled. "Nice to meet you Dipper. And thanks for the help."

"Sure."

"Have you had anything to eat? You look like you might be hungry."

"I'm good. I…stole the rest of your brother's pie earlier."

"_Stole_ the rest?"

"He actually offered. I just got carried away and ate the whole thing. I'm a long haul trucker, so when I got here, it'd been a while since I'd eaten anything. Your brother didn't seem to mind though."

She smiled. "That would be Phineas."

"Hey, thanks for the new guitar strap Jeremy." Phineas began to emerge from the back, only to turn back around. "The old one was getting a little frayed." He paused. "Yeah, I'll tell her." He shut the door behind him and turned to Candace, smirking. "In case you couldn't tell, your husband's home."

"Oh thank goodness. Maybe he finally picked up the butter and the other things we needed. I could seriously use his help around here."

"I told him that. He said he'd be out in a minute."

"Thank you Phineas."

"No problem." The red head opened his guitar case, gently taking out his guitar and attaching the new strap to it, smiling as he slung it over his shoulder, strumming a few chords.

"Oh cool. You're a musician?" Dipper asked.

"Yeah. My brother and I, along with one of our friends, used to be in this band called Summer Still Rocks. We traveled around for about…" he paused in thought "oh eight years before we disbanded. We were starting to pick up quite a following, but…well…" he smiled. "Things change. I've only been back on the road for about a year now."

"By yourself?"

"Yep."

"What changed?"

"Well…while on the road, I fell in love with this pretty girl named Isabella and we had a baby. When Abigail was four, Isabella and I decided that raising her on the road, while adventurous, wasn't the best thing anymore, so the guys and I talked and Summer Still Rocks disbanded. Isabella and I settled in my hometown of Danville. After my daughter was in school for a little bit, Izzy caught me playing my guitar one night and encouraged me to go back on the road." He smiled. "So here I am."

"But…doesn't it get lonely being out here by yourself? I've been a trucker for four years and I still get lonely."

"Well sure, but I talk to my wife and daughter every night and stop by when I can. I'm actually headed home for a short while now. I just decided to stop in and visit Candace. And if the lunch rush was any indication, it's a good thing I did!" He laughed heartily.

"How much longer are you going to be on the road?"

"Dunno." He grinned. "It's been fun so far though."

Dipper sighed. "At least you have someone answering the phone."

Phineas looked at him, softly strumming another chord before placing the guitar back in its case. He picked up the case, poking his head into the back room. "Candace, it's getting kind of late; I should be heading out."

She emerged from the back room, enveloping him in a tight hug. "Ohhh thanks for stopping by Phineas. It was great seeing you. Can I get you something for the road?"

He chuckled. "No thanks. I'm good."

"How about you Dipper?"

"Oh. Uh, no thanks."

"Okay. Don't say I never offered." She gave her brother one last hug before kissing him on the cheek. "Good-bye Phineas. Take care of yourself."

"I will Sis. Don't worry about a thing." He smiled at her before turning around. "You out of here too Dipper, or…"

The man rubbed the back of his neck, looking around. "Yeah. I might as well get going; I should be able to put in a few more miles before dark."

"Well, come on then. I'll walk out with you."

* * *

Dipper stood outside the cab of his truck, smiling at the red head. "Well Phineas, it was nice meeting you. Thanks for listening to my problems with Mabel; I didn't mean to dump stuff on you."

He smiled. "No problem. And hey, sometimes all you need is a sympathetic ear."

"Yeah…" the man paused. "Soo…I guess I should be going then."

"Yes, yes you should." Phineas gave the man one last smile before turning around and walking away.

Dipper was just about to climb back into the cab of his truck when he noticed something. He hopped to the ground, walking over to where the red head was standing, sticking his thumb out. "Phineas, what are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm hitch hiking."

"_Hitch hiking_?" The man raised a brow. "Don't you have a car?"

"No. It's just me and my guitar; like I said, touring's been fun so far."

"Wouldn't it be safer to have Candace take you home?"

"It probably would, but she worries." He turned around so he was facing the man. "Don't worry about me Dipper; I'm fine. Really."

Dipper sighed, motioning behind him. "Come on. I'll give you a lift."

"You don't have to do that."

"Hey, you let me vent to you. It's the least I can do." He forced a smile, hopping into the cab of the truck and motioning to the passenger side, waiting as Phineas climbed in.

"Thanks Dipper. I really appreciate this."

"Like I said, it's the least I can do." The man adjusted the rearview mirror before turning the big rig on. "Alright, let's roll."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N 1**: Song used: The Road and the Radio by Kenny Chesney

* * *

"Sooo…Dipper…" Phineas tapped the top of his guitar case. "You weren't really serious in there were you? About Dipper being your real name; it's a nickname right?"

"Not really. It's my actual name. My parents noticed the birthmark when my Mom gave birth to me and…" he sighed. "I've been Dipper ever since."

"You know, you could change that."

"I know. I've thought about it. I've always wanted to change my name to Tyrone, but…well, after twenty-six years, it just kind of stuck." He was quiet for a moment, checking the side view mirrors before changing lanes. "Mabel always liked it…"

The red head was about to interject something, only to pause, deciding to change the subject. "How did you become a trucker?"

"Well, after high school, Mabel and I weren't close anymore, so I didn't see much point in hanging around. I was planning to go to college out of state somewhere, but around the time I was looking at colleges, Grunkle Stan called me. He'd bought some trucking company and wanted me to help him run it. So that first summer after high school, I moved back to Oregon and started working as a bookkeeper." The man paused. "And then the Mystery Shack got repossessed and Grunkle Stan disappeared."

"Disappeared?"

"Yeah. Just out of the blue. I came to work one day and there was a note on the door saying 'good luck kid' and nothing else. The rumor is that Grunkle Stan was either killed by disgruntled bankers or died of natural causes. I think he's still in hiding personally."

"Your Great Uncle sounds eccentric."

Dipper laughed. "That's one way to put it."

"But you're still with the trucking company."

"You know, it's weird. A few months after Grunkle Stan went missing, somebody bought the trucking company. Some company called Mobile Mammal Trucking. There's some rumor that it's actually owned by a platypus, but I don't buy it."

Phineas snorted. "Ohhh. So that's what he's been up to…"

"What?"

The red head started. "Oh nothing. I was just thinking of someone."

A comfortable silence passed between the two men, the only sound being the mud flaps on the tires and the sound of the road.

"Hey Phineas, you never did tell me about your sister."

"Huh?"

"In the diner earlier. You said you and your sister had a period of time when you drifted apart and weren't close." Dipper was quiet for a moment. "I…kind of wanted to hear that story."

"Oh! Yeah, I never did get to finish telling you about that, did I?"

"No."

"Well, when Ferb and I were nine, we…built a few things in our backyard that Candace wasn't to happy about. For some reason, she was always trying to get us in trouble for whatever it was we happened to be building, or even doing, that day. I mean, we were still pretty close, but she was more into trying to bust us or pining after Jeremy."

"That was the guy you were talking wasn't it? The one who gave you the guitar strap?"

"Yep. Him and Candace are married now, so that worked out."

"Huh. Good for them."

"Yeah, they're pretty happy. They have a daughter, Amanda, and two sons, Xavier and Fred."

"Soo…you never really had a problem with your sister…"

"Well, not that summer, no. But when Ferb, Buford and I graduated high school, we started touring as Summer Still Rocks and Candace went off to college. I didn't see or talk to her for a really long time. The guys and I were busy touring and she was busy with her studies. And the times I did call her, it was in places where we barely had any cell reception." He paused, seeming to think of something. "You know, maybe Mabel isn't ignoring you; maybe wherever she is has bad cell reception or she lost her phone."

"Maybe. I kind of doubt it though."

"Well, you never know." Dipper didn't respond. "Anyway, during that time, when we were first touring, I really missed Candace. I mean, Ferb's great and everything, but I just missed the bond I had with her. I missed us talking and laughing about things."

"So you called her until you eventually gave up?"

"No. Like I said, rough cell reception in some places. But I did eventually see her again. After that, we reconnected and even though we may not talk everyday, the bond is still there. It will always be there." Phineas paused for a moment. "Just like it is with your sister; that bond never truly goes away."

The trucker didn't respond, only stared out the window of the truck, absently tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Do you like music?"

"Huh?" Dipper started, quickly glancing at the red head before returning his eyes to the road. "Oh. Yeah. I like music. I usually have the radio on in here. You can turn it on if you want; I only didn't turn it on because we were talking and, well—"

"Would you mind if played something instead? Sometimes music helps me relax."

"You need to relax?"

He laughed, setting his guitar case on the floor of the cab and opening it, taking out an acoustic guitar. "No. Sometimes it's just fun to play." He plucked a few strings before tuning it. "Not to brag, but I've been told that I'm pretty good at playing songs that mirror a person's life."

Dipper smirked. "Sure. Let's see what you can play about my life."

"Alright." The red head stared out the window for a moment, a smile slowly spreading across his face as he turned his attention back to the instrument on his knee. "You know, I think I have the perfect song." He plucked a few chords and started singing.

_Ain't nothing out here but me, the road and the radio  
__Looking for an exit and a song that I might know  
__Countin down the memories,  
__adding up the miles  
__Searching for a feeling I ain't felt in awhile_

_Clarity and inspiration  
__Happiness is a destination  
__that's hard to find  
__it may take some time_

_But in my mind there's something more  
__and I'll open up a brand new door  
__and find the strength to close the ones I left behind  
__I'll get there leaning on some friends I know  
__the road and the radio_

Phineas glanced up from his guitar, ready to sing the next verse when he noticed something. "Dipper? Are you crying?"

"No. I-I'm fine." The man's voice cracked. "Really good song."

"Are you sure? You sound a little choked up."

"No. Really. I'm fine." A maniacal laugh escaped his lips and he wiped away a tear. "Okay, yes, I'm crying. And, sure, it hurts, but…it's cathartic right?" He laughed again. "Really, _really_ good song."

"Uhh…okay." The red head stared at the trucker a moment before placing his guitar back in his case and snapping the lid shut. He stretched his arms and legs before leaning back in the passenger seat, trying to get comfortable. "So…let's talk about the rest of your family."

* * *

**A/N 2**: So much fun coming up with a backstory for Dipper.  
**A/N 3**: _No matter what has gone on in my life, there have been two constant things…the road and the radio. No matter what it was, one of them had the answer, whether it was a long stretch of highway or a great song. …This is the one place where it's still the same…the broken lines and the truth I find in songs.-_Kenny Chesney on his song The Road and the Radio. From the CD insert of his CD of the same name.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hours later…_

"Okay, where am I going?" Dipper slowed the truck to an even slower crawl, squinting through the window at the street signs. "It's…Oak Avenue right?"

"Oak Drive. It should be about three more blocks. You need to take a right on Birch Road."

"Birch Road…Birch Road…oh, there it is." The trucker did a wide swing out to the left before turning right on Birch Road, making sure the rest of the semi truck followed.

"It's the third house down."

Dipper counted three houses down before stopping in front of a two story house with a red front door. He put the semi in park and looked around. "Nice neighborhood."

"Yeah. It was a great place to grow up." Phineas opened the door of the cab, hopping out and grabbing his guitar case. "Of course, I grew up a few blocks down, so technically in the next neighborhood over, but it's basically the same." He smiled. "Thanks for the ride home Dipper. I'd stay and chat, but…" he motioned behind him. "My family's waiting."

"Oh yeah. No problem." A sad look passed the man's face. "Good-bye Phineas."

The red head was about to turn around when something occurred to him. "Hey Dipper? It's probably not my place to say or anything, but if your sister means that much to you, then you should keep calling her. And if you continue to call her and she doesn't answer, then go find her. When a person means that much to you, you do whatever it takes to keep them or get them back. Don't give up."

He smiled. "Thanks. I'll try to remember that."

"No problem." Phineas smiled at him before turning around and walking up to the front of the house. As he got closer, he noticed someone peeking out the front window. He stopped and set his guitar case down, counting. "One…two…thre—"

"Daddy!" The door flew open and Abigail ran outside.

He got down on his knees, catching her as she ran into his arms. "Hey Abby." Phineas looked down, noticing the orange and white striped shirt she was wearing along with a pair of blue shorts. He chuckled. "Are those my old summer clothes?"

"Yep! Mom and I found them in a box in a closet. I'm wearing them because I wanna be just like you!"

He laughed, picking up one of the shirtsleeves. "They're a little big, but you'll grow into them in a year or two." He paused for a moment, glancing around. "Where's Mom?"

"Right here."

Phineas looked up, a huge grin spreading across his face. His wife was standing in the doorway wearing his orange button up collared shirt. He was at the door in two steps. "It looks good on you."

"You know when it looks even better?" She smirked. "When it's off."

"I like the sound of that." He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a passionate kiss, which she returned. "Maybe we could—"

"Dad?" The red head looked down at a tug on his pant leg. "Did you bring me a surprise?"

An awkward cough escaped his lips and he turned to his wife. "Rain check? Later tonight?"

"Definitely."

"Dad?" Abby looked up at him. "You didn't answer me."

"I'm sorry Abigail; that was rude of me wasn't it? Yes, I did bring you a surprise, but you have to wait a few minutes before you get it okay?" The seven year old nodded before skipping inside and he laughed nervously. "Phew. That was close. Izzy, we need to get better at that."

"I thought we already were."

Phineas laughed, kissing his wife on the cheek. "I missed you."

"I missed you too Phin." She laid her head on his shoulder, noticing something. "Hey, who's that in the semi?"

"Oh, that's Dipper."

"Dipper?" Isabella giggled. "That's a strange name."

"Well, yeah, but—" the red head paused, deciding to give the man some dignity. "It's a nickname; his real name's Tyrone."

"Why don't you invite him in? I'm going to be starting dinner soon. Maybe he's hungry."

"I would, but there's that rain check we talked about…" he smirked, unwrapping his arms from around her waist and walking into the yard, picking up his guitar before walking back over. "Besides, something tells me he's going to be taking an alternate route to wherever it is he's going."

"How do you know?"

"Oh, just a hunch." He wrapped an arm around his wife's waist, waving to his new friend before walking inside and shutting the front door behind them. "Come on Isabella; I'll tell you all about it over dinner."

* * *

Dipper put a hand up, silently returning the red head's wave. He sighed as he started up the truck, carefully backing it up before heading in the direction he had come. "Well, at least he has someone to go home to." He grabbed the Bluetooth from the dashboard, clipping it on his ear. "Call Mabel Pines."

_ Calling Mabel Pines_

The phone started ringing and he held his breath, praying. "Come on Mabel, please pick up." It rang five times before hitting her voicemail. He growled in annoyance, yanking the device out of his ear before chucking it onto the front seat. "What's the point? It's not like she'll ever answer."

He sighed, coming to a stop at a traffic light and laying his head on the steering wheel while he waited for the light to change. "After three years, maybe I should just…give up."

The light changed and he pulled the semi onto the main road out of town, the red head's words popping into his mind from earlier.

_When a person means that much to you, you do whatever it takes to keep them or get them back. Don't give up._

"Don't give up huh?" Dipper quickly pulled the truck over into the nearest parking lot, putting it in park and digging around under the front seat. After a few seconds, he emerged with a burner phone, quickly punching in a number. It rang twice before it picked up. "Grunkle Stan? Yeah, it's Dipper. Hey, I need a favor..."

* * *

**A/N**: Well guys, Dipper's journey is almost at an end; will he find what he's looking for? Only two more chapters to go, so stay tuned!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N 1: **Song lyrics used are from Kenny Chesney's song The Road and the Radio

* * *

_Spent the night in Carolina,  
__got up early out of bed…_

"Okay, what've we got here?" Dipper leaned against the side of the semi, studying a map he had bought at the gas station. He yawned as he took a sip of Redbull before unfolding the map and laying it on top of a nearby trashcan. "Grunkle Stan said Mabel is living..." his finger traced a southbound route. "Here."

The trucker studied the map for a moment before digging a red felt marker out of his pants pocket, holding it in his teeth while yanking the cap off. "Now, if I go..." the marker scribbled over the paper, scrawling out a route before circling the destination. "There. That should do it." A rare smile passed the man's face as he refolded the map, stuffing it in his pocket before dislodging the gas pump from the truck.

"Let's see...filled up the truck, got Redbull for the drive, got a roadmap, figured out the route and…" he held up a rectangular object, studying it. "Whatever this is." The words The Rolling Stones were printed on the front, along with the word cassette. "Eh." Without another thought, he tossed it into the garbage can, climbing back into the cab of the truck.

Dipper took a deep breath as he started the engine. "Let's hope this works." His eyes rolled heavenwards. "Please let her talk to me."

_Setting my sights southbound  
__no reason or rhyme,  
__threw up a prayer just lookin  
__just lookin for a sign..._

* * *

"Ohh come on. Where is it, where is it?" Mabel frantically searched the house, looking under tables and chairs. "I thought I had it..." she scoffed at her own comment. "Yeah right Mabel; you had it three years ago." She paused. "Still...it's interesting it'd be lost for that long..."

She stood up and dusted herself off, running a hand through her hair as she made her way into the kitchen, absently staring out the window. "If I can't find it..." she trailed off as a large semi truck rolled to a stop in front of the house, it's air brakes screeching.

Mabel squinted, reading the teal print painted on the side of the truck. "Mobile Mammal Trucking Company? What's that? Some kind of-wait." Her eyes widened as the door of the cab opened and someone climbed out. "Is that...? Oh...my...gosh."

She was out the door like a shot.

* * *

Dipper took off his hat, nervously twisting it in his hands before putting it back on and pulling a piece of paper from his pocket, studying it. "This is the correct address. Let's hope-"

"DIPPER!"

"Huh?" He glanced up, finding Mabel running at him full tilt. Before he had a chance to react, she tackled him to the ground.

"Dipper! Oh my gosh! Is that really you?!" Her hands reached up, running all over his face.

"Uh Mabel?"

"I mean, it _looks_ like you and it _feels_ like you...well, except for this face stubble." She sniffed. "It even _smells_ like you." She waved a hand in front of her nose. "Yech. You're a little ripe. When's the last time you bathed?"

He couldn't stop the grin spreading across his face. "Yeah Mabel. It's me. And I don't smell." He sniffed an armpit. "Okay...maybe a little."

"Oh Dipper, it's so great to see you." She grabbed his hand, hauling him up. "What's it been now? Three years?"

"Yeah. It's been...hey, wait a minute. Since when are you chatty all of a sudden?"

"What do you mean? I'm always chatty. I'm the chattiest person you know."

"Mabel, everyday for the past three years, I've been calling you. I've called your cell phone dozens of times; I even left several voicemails. But you never called me back. And then, after high school, you barely said two words to me before you left. I never saw you after that. Did it ever occur to you that I might worry about you?"

"Oh Dipper. Let's let bygones be bygones."

"Mabel..." he shot his sister a warning glare and she sighed.

"Fine. Come on inside. I'll tell you all about it."

He went to follow her, only to pause. "Hey wait. When did you get a foot taller than me?"

"It's called a growth spurt. Maybe you've heard of it." She turned around, smirking at him. "Oh wait. You _haven't_."

"It hasn't even been five minutes and you're already infuriating me."

"It's what I do." She walked up three steps to the front porch, ushering him inside. "My humble abode."

The trucker looked around. "It's...nice." He swiped a finger across a piece of furniture, looking at it. "A little dusty, but nice."

"I just moved in."

"It shows."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Come into the kitchen."

Dipper followed her voice, emerging into a small kitchen. It wasn't much to look at; there was a counter that wrapped around two walls, a sink that faced an open window looking out from the front of the house and a microwave and stove on one wall. The refrigerator was behind him and he leaned against it, studying his sister's appearance.

Other than being a full foot taller than him, she was wearing a pair of faded denim jeans complete with a yellow camisole. Her hair was about as long as the last time he'd seen her, though straighter, and when she turned around, he noticed something else.

"Your braces are gone."

She snorted. "Of course they are silly. They've been gone since junior year of high school." Her voice grew quiet. "Not that you noticed; you were to busy being cool with your new friends to hang out with your outcast sister."

"Outcast?"

"I was an outcast Dipper; in high school, nobody liked me. Nobody paid any attention to me. I was just Dipper's sister. Worse than that; I was Dipper's _little_ sister."

"Little? But how could you-how-we're twins!"

"I know right?" She sighed, sitting down at the table, motioning for him to sit across from her. "Anyway, you were so busy being popular that you never noticed or paid attention to me."

"I noticed you…" his voice was quiet as he took the aforementioned seat.

"No Dipper, you didn't." The woman glanced down at her hands before looking up, meeting her brother's gaze. "It was high school Dipper; I was bullied and teased for how I looked and how I acted." She motioned to her clothes. "They only stopped teasing me when I started dressing like this and once I started locking up who I really was. Once I started acting…" she put air quotes around the word. "Normal."

"Normal? But, you're normal. You're—"

"You're my brother; you were supposed to protect me! You were supposed to have my back! But I guess that summer in Gravity Falls really didn't teach us anything, did it?" Her voice was bitter and she looked down, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"You know, it wasn't just _my_ fault; as we went through high school, you practically quit talking to me. You-you barely said two words to me! You started keeping to yourself! How was I supposed to know?!"

"Because we have a sibling bond Dipper. You weren't supposed to ask; you were just supposed to know."

"I'm not a mind reader Mabel! When you started keeping to yourself, I assumed you had a new hobby or something." Dipper crossed his arms over his chest, stewing. "You never told me anything; the last thing you said to me was good-bye. On the day we graduated. Two days later, you were gone and aside from the occasional text or quick phone call, I never heard from you!"

"That's because you never answered your phone!"

"I started working for a trucking company! Do you know what happens when you work for a trucking company?! In some parts of the U.S, you lose cell reception!" He jumped to his feet, fists clenched at his sides. "Or your phone gets wet or the cell battery dies! And by the way, you never answered your cell phone either!"

"I lost it in college." Her voice was quiet.

"You lost it in college?! You lost it in colle—wait." Dipper sat back down, his voce returning to normal. "You went to college? That-that's great Mabel. What'd you major in?"

She motioned around the kitchen. "Interior Design."

He raised a brow. "Really?"

Mabel sighed, not looking at him. "I didn't know what to major in, so I took something that sounded like it might be easy." A wry smile passed her lips. "Turns out I don't have much of a flair for decorating."

"You can say that again."

"Oh like you could do any better."

"Actually…" he got up, looking around the kitchen before pulling on a loose plank of wood. "You know, if we get some hammer and nails, and possibly fix this before we start, we can maybe…" the trucker looked around. "And if you painted those walls a maroon color…" He looked at his sister. "Want to work on this? I bet if we do it together, it can be decorated in no time."

She rolled her eyes, but got up out of her seat nevertheless. "Fine."

* * *

**A/N 2:** One more chapter left! I'll post it up on Thursday, so stay tuned!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N 1: **Last chapter guys! Hope you like it!  
**A/N 2: **Song used: Highway Don't Care by Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban

* * *

_Hours later…_

"You know Dipper, I hate to say it, but this place looks good." Mabel stood in the living room, looking around at the freshly painted walls. "That maroon color was a great idea; it really brightens the place up."

He twirled a hammer in his hand. "Can I decorate or can I decorate?"

"You can decorate!" She hug-tackled him and the two landed in a heap on the couch, Mabel resting her head on his chest. "I'm sorry about earlier; it's just that seeing you brought back all this memories that I've kind of kept hidden the past three years."

"I'm sorry too. I mean, I don't even remember half of what happened in high school, but—" the trucker suddenly sat bolt upright, causing Mabel to fall off the couch with a soft oof. A look of horror passed the man's face. "Oh my gosh! I remember!" He reached down, pulling his sister onto the couch so she was sitting across from him. "That's why you were so hurt! _I_ teased you! It was me!"

"Yes, it was. You didn't want your cool new friends to ditch you, so you teased me along with them." She began to cry. "That hurt Dipper; that hurt sooo bad, there were days when I felt like I couldn't live with it anymore." She pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging herself. "It got worse my freshman year of college; luckily, I had a really, really nice roommate and she introduced me to the school counselor."

"Mabel, I—"

"How could you? I never said anything." She began to cry harder, barely able to speak the words. "Even the times when I called you, I never said anything!"

Dipper sat on the opposite end of the couch, looking helplessly at his sister. Finally, he reached over, pulling her into a hug and holding her, rubbing her back. "Shhh…it's okay. It was both our faults; we're both to blame here." Tears fell from his eyes as he rocked the two of them back and forth. "It's okay…shhh…it's okay…"

* * *

"Geez. What an emotional day." Dipper sighed, lying on the couch, Mabel lying next to him with her head on his chest.

"I know right?" Mabel sighed, her tears having subsided. "At least we got a good cry out of it."

"Cathartic?"

"Yeah." She giggled.

"What?"

"Dipper, I hate to tell you this, but…your stomach's growling." The woman placed an ear to her brother's stomach. "It's really noisy."

"I am a little hungry; I haven't had anything to eat since…" he paused in thought. "This morning? Yesterday? Wait. This morning, it was the Redbull, so it would have to be yesterday."

"Dipper Pines!" Mabel sat up, whacking her brother on the shoulder.

"Hey!"

"Dipper, you should've eaten something!"

He pulled the brim of his cap over his eyes. "Little busy Mabel." The cap was slowly lifted upwards as his sister peered at him. "What?"

"You want pizza?"

"That…sounds great."

"Great! I'll just…" she padded herself. "Oh. I lost my cell phone in college and the house phone hasn't been connected yet." She looked around the room. "I'm sure I can find it—"

"Mabel?"

"What?"

"Here." Dipper lifted himself up a little, pulling his cell phone out of a pocket. "Use mine."

She took the offered phone, raising a brow at it. "Is this really your phone? It looks like a burner pho—"

"Oh!" He reached over, snatching it from her before digging in the other pocket, pulling out a different one. "Heh. Sorry. Wrong phone."

"Why do you have a burner phone?"

"Don't ask. Just trust me."

Mabel regarded him for a moment before shrugging, dialing a number and holding the phone to her ear as she walked out of the room. "Hello Pizza Palace? Yes, Mabel Pines here. I'd like to place an order…"

"Whew. That was close." He flopped back down on the couch, rolling over onto his stomach and looking at the end table. "Oh. A radio. Wonder if it works." He turned the dial and a radio program came on.

_Hello listeners. You're listening to Midnight with Mike and we're—_

"Midnight?" The trucker looked at his watch. "Huh. What do you know?"

_ Tonight in the studio, we have a young up and coming artist by the name of Phineas Flynn._

"Phineas?" Dipper reached over, turning up the volume.

_Hey Mike, it's great to be here tonight. Or today. Or tomorrow. I mean, it is midnight after all, so technically, it could be any of those days._

He smiled at the radio as the DJ continued.

_You're right, it could be any of those days. Now Phineas, word on the street is that you just released a new single, am I correct?_

_You are correct Mike. As you know, I'm just a cover artist; not trying to replace the old or current bands, just playing the great songs everybody should hear or know. This latest cover is Highway Don't Care, originally performed by Tim Mcgraw, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban. This latest cover is very special to me because I had the chance to record it with my sister and brother. You'll hear my brother on guitar and my sister on vocals. Candace is no Taylor Swift, but she runs a close second._

The radio DJ laughed. _Well listeners, if you want to hear this new cover, then you're in luck; Phineas had brought us a CD and we're going to be playing it for you right now._

_ Mike, may I be so kind as to interject something?_

_ Of course._

Dipper sat up, pulling his legs underneath him indian style as he listened.

_ Well Mike, when you're an artist traveling on the road, you meet a lot of different people. I've met a lot of people in the short time I have been doing this and yesterday I met a young man by the name of Tyrone—_

"Tyrone?" Mabel walked back into the room, handing her brother his cell phone as she sat down. "Dipper, did you tell someone—"

"Shhh."

_ Anyway Mike, this young man was looking for something and I would like to dedicate this song not only to him, but to all the truckers out there on the road tonight. So Tyrone, this one's for you. I hope you found what you were looking for._

Dipper wiped the sudden mist from his eyes as the song began to play.

_Bet your window's rolled down and your hair's pulled back  
__and I bet you got no idea you're going way to fast  
__You're trying not to think about what went wrong,  
__you're trying not to stop til you get where you're goin  
__You're trying to stay awake so I bet you turn on the radio  
__and the song goes…_

A woman's voice came over the speakers, singing the next verse.

_I can't live without ya  
__I can't live without ya baby.  
__I can't live without ya  
__I can't live without ya baby, oh baby._

The red head's voice came in next, singing the chorus.

_The highway won't hold you tonight,  
__the highway don't know you're alive,  
__the highway don't care if you're all alone  
__but I do, I do—_

"Hey!" Dipper glared at his sister as she reached across him, clicking the radio off. "I was listening to that!"

She giggled. "You know what it sounds like?" She started singing. "I can't live without you, I can't live without you Mabel. I can't live without you, I can't live without you Mabel, oh Mabel."

He smirked, pushing her. "Good thing that major was in Interior Design instead of singing."

"Oh yeah? I'd like to hear you sing Mr. Smartypants."

He cleared his throat. "I can't live without you, I can't live without you Dipper. I can't live without you Dipper, oh Dipper."

She snorted. "You sound worse than me and I think we're doing it wrong."

"Really? How's that?"

"I'll do the Dipper part, you do the Mabel part." She cleared her throat. "I can't live without you, I can't live without you Dipper. I can't live without you Dipper oh Dipper."

He grinned. "I can't live without you, I can't live without Mabel. I can't live without you, I can't live without you Mabel, oh Mabel."

She smiled. "You know what Dipper? We're better when we're together. Two peas in a pod right?"

"Yep. Two peas in a pod."

"I'm glad you came and found me today. Even if it was hard."

"I'm glad I found you too."

Mabel opened her mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. "Pizza!"

Dipper smirked as she bounded off the couch, heading for the door. He slowly got up, following her. "You know Mabel, one of these days, we should start acting our age."

She closed the door, poking her head around the corner. "I'm twenty-six. What about you?"

"I'm twenty-six too." He walked over to her. "Now give me a slice."

"You'll have to catch me first." With an evil laugh, she bounded into the kitchen.

The trucker was just about to follow her when he paused, his foot over the threshold. His eyes landed on the now quiet radio and he smiled. "Thanks Phineas. For everything."


End file.
